Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributing authors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Planet formation and protoplanetary dust
- 2 The origins of protoplanetary dust and the formation of accretion disks
- 3 Evolution of protoplanetary disk structures
- 4 Chemical and isotopic evolution of the solar nebula and protoplanetary disks
- 5 Laboratory studies of simple dust analogs in astrophysical environments
- 6 Dust composition in protoplanetary disks
- 7 Dust particle size evolution
- 8 Thermal processing in protoplanetary nebulae
- 9 The clearing of protoplanetary disks and of the proto-solar nebula
- 10 Accretion of planetesimals and the formation of rocky planets
- Appendix 1 Common minerals in the Solar System
- Appendix 2 Mass spectrometry
- Appendix 3 Basics of light absorption and scattering theory
- Glossary
- Index
Appendix 2 - Mass spectrometry
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 February 2010
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributing authors
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- 1 Planet formation and protoplanetary dust
- 2 The origins of protoplanetary dust and the formation of accretion disks
- 3 Evolution of protoplanetary disk structures
- 4 Chemical and isotopic evolution of the solar nebula and protoplanetary disks
- 5 Laboratory studies of simple dust analogs in astrophysical environments
- 6 Dust composition in protoplanetary disks
- 7 Dust particle size evolution
- 8 Thermal processing in protoplanetary nebulae
- 9 The clearing of protoplanetary disks and of the proto-solar nebula
- 10 Accretion of planetesimals and the formation of rocky planets
- Appendix 1 Common minerals in the Solar System
- Appendix 2 Mass spectrometry
- Appendix 3 Basics of light absorption and scattering theory
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
Secondary ion mass spectrometry
Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a widely used analytical technique in fields such as microelectronics, metallurgy, biology, geochemistry, and cosmochemistry. Major SIMS applications in cosmochemistry are measurements of the isotopic compositions of the light-to intermediate-mass elements and of minor and trace element abundances of nanometer-to micrometer-sized samples. In the context of this book, the major application of SIMS is the study of presolar dust and organics found in primitive Solar System materials. The basic principle of SIMS can be described as follows: the sample of interest is bombarded with primary ions (several keV energy), mostly oxygen or cesium. This triggers a collisional cascade in the target and secondary particles (atomic and molecular ions, neutrals) are emitted from the uppermost layers. The information depth, i.e. from where the secondary particles originate, is typically 5–20nm and depends on parameters such as primary particle energy, angle of incidence, and target composition. Typically, some permil or percent of the sputtered particles are ionized and can be analyzed in a mass spectrometer.
Secondary ion mass spectrometry is a powerful technique, which has several advantages: detection limits are ppm for most elements and ppb for favorable elements, all elements (except the noble gases) are detectable, isotopes can be distinguished, and a high lateral resolution, ranging from ≈50 nm to several μm, depending on the type of instrument and application (see below), can be achieved. Disadvantages of SIMS are its destructive nature and the fact that secondary ion yields vary by more than six orders of magnitude which makes isotope studies of certain elements very difficult or impossible.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Protoplanetary DustAstrophysical and Cosmochemical Perspectives, pp. 340 - 342Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2010